


Like Mountains

by lamplord (orphan_account)



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/F, Humanstuck, Individual chapter warnings inside, in which Vriska is a major douchebag, mentioned abusive relationship, no i'm serious, total douche
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-22
Updated: 2014-03-23
Packaged: 2018-01-16 16:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1353382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/lamplord
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose Lalonde is 21, living with her brother, recovering from  alcoholism, and trying to learn how to be social.</p><p>Kanaya Maryam is 20 and trying to recover from an emotionally abusive relationship while pioneering her way through college.</p><p>And then they meet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rose: Make A Move

**Author's Note:**

> The title will make sense eventually.

When Rose first saw her, she was in the corner of the library with her knees pulled up to her chest and her nose in a book. She was skinny and seemed tall, with a sleek black pixie cut and matching black lipstick. And in one glance, Rose became fascinated.

(She’d have to psychoanalyze this fact at a later time.)

Rose, being her confident self, found the will to walk up to the slim woman with inky black hair in mere seconds and slid into the seat across the table with barely a whisper of her skirt.

“How is it?”

The woman was startled, her head jerking up to meet Rose’s violet eyes with wide green ones. “Um- What?”

“The book. It’s the third installment of a series I’ve been contemplating reading, and I was wondering if it was really as good as I have heard.” Rose smiled slightly. She had no intention of catching the woman off guard, and hoped it would not deter the conversation she had already tentatively scripted in her head.

Visibly relaxing, the woman shifted in her seat to place her feet back onto the ground instead of the edge of her seat. “Oh. Well, I’ll admit the plot is a bit lacking, but the author has a very compelling writing style. It keeps you turning the pages no matter how much you want to put the book down.”

“Ah, one of those.” Rose sighed. “Shame. I’ve been looking for a new read.”

“What are your tastes?” The woman had her head cocked to one side, showing interest in Rose’s answer. The blonde couldn’t help but smile a little, proud that she’d managed to strike up a conversation. And her dumb brother had said she had no chances of ever picking up a woman.

“Hm… I have to say, I do have a thing for sappy romances. And wizards. Does that make me a bit nerdy?”

“Not at all. I know a book you may like.” As soon as she finished speaking, the woman rose and strode down the shelves, disappearing around one corner. Rose silently chastised herself for letting her eyes wander to the oblivious woman’s behind. (It just looked really good in those tight red jeans, okay?) In a few moments, she was back with a book in hand and settling back into her seat. “Here.”

Rose slid the book closer, examining the cover. It portrayed two people on either side of a very big, very old-looking tree. “You sure do know your way around this library,” she commented, looking up.

“I come here a lot,” the woman answered, looking away quickly. Rose noted this with interest.

“May I ask you name?” Rose asked gently.

“Kanaya. Kanaya Maryam.” The pale woman looked back at Rose with a slight smile. “You?”

“Rose Lalonde,” she answered happily. “Say, Miss Maryam, would you like to go have a drink with me?”


	2. Kanaya: Flail

Kanaya had no idea why she even said yes to the drink. Part of her was saying- no, screaming- that it was too soon, she had only just escaped her last relationship and she was not ready at all for a date already. But another part had pointed out that it was, after all, just a drink, and Rose seemed like a nice girl.

But despite her internal dilemma, Kanaya did say yes, and she found herself sitting in a quiet bar the next night waiting for the mysterious blonde from the library.

“Sorry I’m late,” said a soft voice, making Kanaya jump and turn around quickly. Rose was standing there looking sheepish, in a purple button-up blouse that matched her eyes and white jeans. “It was my brother. He is a bit of the nagging sort.”

“It’s okay,” Kanaya said almost too quickly, her face growing hot. She had opted for a red skirt and a black t-shirt, and she began to feel a bit underdressed.

Rose perched up on the stool next to her, and Kanaya felt the hair on the back of her neck rise with the proximity. She told herself to calm down, this was one date, the first date, and Rose was not her ex and she had no reason to be wary. Nonetheless, she was brutally, acutely aware of their closeness as Rose ordered a Coke.

“Do you reside with your brother?” Kanaya asked curiously, sipping her drink. She had already forgotten what it was.

“Yeah. His name is Dave, and I hope you don’t have to meet him.”

Kanaya raised an eyebrow.

“I mean, he’s great, just… really annoying.” Rose sighed. “I probably seem incredibly rude now. I’m sorry. Do you have any siblings?”

“No,” Kanaya admitted. “But my friend Karkat is a bit like a brother to me.”

“Wait- Karkat? Vantas?”

“Yes.”

“He works with my brother!” Rose laughed, and Kanaya noticed the way her eyes were almost closed when she did so and the way her shoulders hunched a little. “They’re pretty close, I think. How’d you guys meet?”

“We went to school together since we were little.” Kanaya shifted slightly. “He’s always been there for me, even though he’s really grumpy and he sometimes doesn’t seem to like anyone. I don’t think I’d be where I am now if it weren’t for him.”

“That’s really sweet,” Rose commented with a soft smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever been that close to anyone.”

“Not even Dave?”

“We’re both the distant sort. I suppose he’s the only one who really knows me, but it doesn’t feel close. Do you know what I mean?”

Kanaya thought for a moment before answering, “I think so.” Then she looked at Rose’s drink and asked a bit worriedly, “Should I have avoided an alcoholic beverage?”

Rose laughed a bit awkwardly. “No. I, uh, had a bit of a problem with alcohol for a long time, so I just never drink it anymore. To discourage temptation.”

“Oh.” The black-haired woman looked down sadly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude or anything-”

She felt a slim hand cup her cheek and raise her head again to meet Rose’s eyes. “It’s fine, I promise.”

Kanaya could have sworn every drop of blood in her body had surged into her cheeks. Rose noticed and started laughing again, which only made Kanaya blush harder.

“So, why’d you ask me to have a drink with you, if you don’t drink?” Kanaya tilted her head to one side as the thought occurred to her.

“I thought it would be the most relaxed setting to get to know you in. A movie prevents conversation, and dinner is a bit too formal for casual conversation.” Rose shrugged. “That, and I like to pretend like I don’t have problems.”

Kanaya laughed lightly. “I know all about that,” she confessed.

“Is that why you were absolutely terrified when I asked you to have a drink with me?”

“What- I- Terrified? I wasn’t terrified-”

“I am a psychology student, Miss Kanaya. You were scared. Was I too imposing?” Rose tilted her head curiously to one side.

The taller woman just sighed. “Do you always try to dig out intimate secrets on the first date?”

“So this is a date.”

“Didn’t you ask it as a date?”

“The date status was for you to decide.”

“Oh come on-”

“I like the decision.” Rose smiled gently, and Kanaya realized that for only the second time in her life, she found someone who made her have to reassemble sentences and even simply made her speechless.

Kanaya looked down at her drink, still cradled in her hands, and suddenly it was again too appealing and she could see blue eyes teasing her. She set it down and slid it away with a sigh. “I’m sorry.”

“What?” From her tone, Kanaya knew there was a look of surprise on the blonde’s face. “Don’t apologizing for assuming it was a date, please, it makes me glad-”

“It’s not for that,” Kanaya amended quickly. She looked up, doing her best to remain guarded. “I believe I made a rash decision, in accepting your invitation. I am very sorry, but I should go.” And with that, she slid off the stool and began to rush away.

“Kanaya!” Rose called after her, and she could hear the blonde muttering “excuse me” and “pardon” as she fought through the small crowd after the fleeing woman. Kanaya kept her head down and for once was happy she was so lean because it made it easier to slide between people and get out of the door into the crisp air of the city.

She walked quickly down the sidewalk, and heard the bar door swing open and shut behind her and a voice yell after her. “Kanaya! Please, Kanaya, wait! I’m sorry if I said something wrong-”

But Kanaya was sliding into a cab and trying her best to drown out every sound around her.


	3. Rose: Find answers

Rose paced in her small apartment with one arm crossed and the other pinching the bridge of her nose as she desperately tried to figure out how the hell she’d managed to completely ruin a date in a record-breaking five minutes. And oh, God, she was going to have to face Dave when he got home-

Wait. Dave.

 _Karkat_.

She looked at the clock; it was only 7:52. The café would still be open. Faster than she had run out of the bar, Rose ran out of the apartment.

* * *

The bell rang above her head as she pushed open the door to the café. It was now 8:16, and the small shop was empty. Too late for the workaholics, too early for the addicts.

“Welcome to Sanddollars, how can- Oh, Rose?” Dave looked at her from the other side of the counter, his face unreadable to most behind those shades, but she knew he was surprised. “I thought you were on a date. Wait, oh, my God. You bombed it, didn’t you? Jesus, it was at 7:30! How’d you already fuck up-”

“ _Shut up_!” Rose almost yelled. “I need to talk to Karkat.”

Dave opened his mouth, seemed to reconsider something, then turned and yelled “Karkat!”

“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?” came a gravely and angry voice, and a shorter guy with unruly black hair emerged from the back of the shop, looking as grumpy as he always did.

“Rose wants to talk to you,” Dave said before disappearing to where Karkat had emerged.

“This is pretty fuckin’ rare occasion.” Karkat leaned on the counter. “What do you want?”

Rose strode forward and pulled a chair up to the counter. “Kanaya Maryam.”

Karkat looked surprised. “I didn’t know you knew her.”

“I just went on a date with her.”

There was a moment of silence, then Karkat let out a long “Oooooohhh….” and rubbed his forehead. “Shit. That explains a bit.”

“Look, I fucked it up. And I don’t know how. I need your help.” Rose looked at him desperately and Karkat sighed.

“Everyone always needs my fucking help. Look, I’m only going to because it’s Kanaya, and I fucking swear if you hurt her, I will fucking end you.” Karkat glared until Rose nodded, then relaxed. “So, what exactly happened?”

Rose carefully recounted the date-gone-awry, almost always quoting, and Karkat watched intensely. When she finished, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Look, I don’t have the right to spout all of Kanaya’s business, alright? But she just got out of a really bad relationship. She was pretty much totally in love, and this girl was a fucking bitch. Kanaya is hard girl to earn trust from, so…” Karkat sort of shrugged. “She doesn’t really trust much of anyone, anymore, ‘cept me, I guess.”

Inhaling deeply, Rose nodded. “But how do I get her to give me a chance?”

“Take it slow,” answered Karkat easily. “And lucky for you, I trust Dave, and he trusts you and shit, so I’ll try to slip in a good word. But I’m not a fucking matchmaker, okay? I just don’t want her to get all fucked up again. She only just got back on her feet.”

Rose looked t Karkat deep in the eyes. “Thank you, Karkat.”

“Yeah. Now get out of my fucking shop.”


	4. Kanaya: Stop running

Kanaya paced. Kanaya washed the dishes. Kanaya cleaned the bathroom. Kanaya paced some more. Kanaya washed the dishes again, convincing herself she missed a spot. Kanaya swore to herself that she wouldn’t cry.

She was edgy, she was scared, she was guilty. She shouldn’t have just run out on Rose like that, but all the horrible feelings left behind by her heart’s previous occupant had started welling up, and she just panicked at the thought of ever letting someone in like that ever again.

At least she didn’t drink, and she was proud of that fact.

Kanaya was not a drinker- not before she started officially dating Vriska Serket. The two had been friends for a while, with Kanaya infatuated and Vriska oblivious. But the second Vriska realized that Kanaya longed to be more than friends, Kanaya was trapped. And it was Vriska Serket who made sure Kanaya drank when Vriska thought she should, and Vriska Serket who made Kanaya turn to alcohol after that blasted spider left Kanaya in a broken, sobbing mess on her own kitchen floor.

It was Vriska who led her to try to destroy herself. Because, after all, Kanaya was in love or addicted or both, and when Vriska left, she tore away all the strength Kanaya had.

A few days after that night, Karkat found her sobbing in the corner of that same kitchen with a minefield of broken glass around her and a hand dripping blood onto the floor. For someone who was usually the one needing calmed down, Karkat did a perfect job taking care of his best friend, and even spent the night on Kanaya’s couch after he had gotten the woman bandaged and soothed in bed.

Eventually, the sobbing stopped, the binge drinking only ever happened twice, and Kanaya was back into control.

Until Rose walked into her life and suddenly, she saw something in someone else and it _scared_ her.

Kanaya took deep breaths and finally grabbed her purse and walked out of her front door to go to the only place she felt safe.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, when she was curled up at her usual table with her chin resting on her knees and a book open before her, Kanaya got a text from Karkat that made her want to scream.

I KNOW YOU’RE AT THE LIBRARY BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE YOU ALWAYS GO WHEN YOU’RE STRESSED SO I AM GOING TO TELL YOU THAT ROSE WILL BE THERE SHORTLY AND TO KEEP YOUR ASS SEATED RIGHT THERE AND TALK TO THE WOMAN.

Kanaya was about to ignore his instructions and run as fast as she could away from there when another text popped up:

JUST TRUST ME FOR ONCE, OKAY?

Well she didn’t have enough time to not to, because Rose was standing in front of her looking absolutely exhausted and yet absolutely stunning, even without her painstakingly perfect makeup.

“Hey,” she greeted softly, smiling slightly. “May I sit?”

Kanaya nodded stiffly, slowly shifting to sit properly in the chair as Rose lowered herself into the one opposite from her. They sat awkwardly for a few moments and Kanaya could have sworn she was about to drown in guilt when Rose spoke up.

“I’m sorry.”

What? The taller woman knit her eyebrows. “Why?”

“I pushed you, at the bar. And I’m sorry, because I made you uncomfortable,” Rose explained. Kanaya opened her mouth to say something, and the blonde ignored it and continued. “I understand, if you don’t want me to speak to you again, and you may dismiss me at any moment. But I want you to know that I am so sorry, and I was out of line, and if you would give me a chance, I would like to perhaps show you that I’m not really so bad, and maybe even get a second date. Or at least, a chance to be your friend.” She seemed to have finished, because she looked at Kanaya with gentle, but intense eyes.

Slowly, Kanaya nodded. “I would like that. To get to know you, I mean. And I’m sorry, I-”

Rose held up a hand, stopping her. “You don’t need to explain. I understand.”

Smiling slightly, Kanaya tentatively asked, “Would you like to get to know each other over some tea?”

“I thought you wouldn’t want to go on a date already?”

“I never said it was a date.”

“I thought you- Ooohh,” Rose said, before laughing heartily. “Touché.”


	5. Rose: Start falling for her

Honestly, it didn’t really turn out as a date, just two newfound friends chatting over tea. Rose noticed how Kanaya ordered mint tea with several spoonfuls of sugar in it, while the blond requested plain green tea. She noted how delicately the black-haired beauty sipped her tea, how she always deeply considered questions before she answered, how she gestured with her hands while she talked.

Kanaya spoke softly, but strongly. She talked about how she loved the summer sun and bad vampire romance novels. She talked fondly about how she grew mint in the window box of her apartment, and the garden she had when she was very little. She bitterly recalled a boy named Eridan, who she had become good friends with before a violent falling out, and her sister Porrim, who wandered out of her life a long time ago to travel the world and talked to Karkat’s brother more than she ever talked to Kanaya.

Rose told her about her job at a major publishing firm, how she released the first novel of a best-selling trilogy when she was only 16 and has been reaping the rewards ever since. She found herself ever talking about things she usually never mentioned like Roxy, who had raised her as a sister, though Rose realized when she was 13 that Roxy and Dave’s “brother” Dirk were actually their parents, and Kanaya became the only person outside of the family to know.

They talked of the city, literature and psychology, of art found in museums and art found in back alleys, of traveling the world and ships lost at sea, and Rose decided that Kanaya was an ocean and suddenly Rose was sinking.


	6. Kanaya: Be at the wrong place at the wrong time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY, WARNING TIME.
> 
> This chapter features Vriska being a TOTAL DOUCHE BAG. And by that I mean she tries to get into Kanaya's pants. Well, up her skirt. Therefor:
> 
> TW: ATTEMPTED RAPE
> 
> That may be a bit severe but I don't want to take chances.

Go to a club, she said. It’ll be fun, she said. Right then, Kanaya wanted to whack Terezi in the face.

She knew the little redhead was just trying to be a friend since Kanaya was running short on those, but as the slim woman sat on a couch that smelt like cigarettes and beer, she wished she had just stayed home. The only think keeping her sane was Karkat, who’d insisted to come along because “clubs are fucking dangerous and shit so I’m not letting you go alone with Terezi since she’s fucking crazy.” The perpetually angry boy sat beside her, loudly complaining about some girl’s outfit.

Stirring her drink with an impractically small straw, Kanaya looked around the club. It was small, hot, with too many flashing lights and a bass that Kanaya could feel in her chest. She took another sip, hoping to get herself just drunk enough to be able to stand the night. She knew Karkat would stop her when he deemed it necessary, but until then, she downed the rest of her drink and flicked her straw at Karkat, spritzing him with little droplets of alcohol.

“HEY! What the fuck!?” He batted at his hair angerly, glaring at Kanaya. “Why the hell’d you do that?”

“I’m bored,” Kanaya said simply.

“Then why don’t we just fucking leave?”

“That would be impolite to Terezi.”

“And why is that my fucking problem?”

“You are the person in closest proximity to me.”

“Then I’m getting the fuck out of your proximity.” And with that and a huff of irritation, Karkat got up and stalked off to the bar. Kanaya knew he’d be back. He always was.

By then the alcohol was enough to toss Kanaya off her usual confident game, and things were starting to get a little blurry.

And that was when _she_ struck.

When Kanaya was looking away, a lithe form plopped down beside her. Kanaya whipped her head back around and felt her stomach drop.

“Hey there Fussyfangs,” Vriska greeted with a lazy smirk.

 _Oh God. No. No, no, no._ Kanaya felt her throat close up, and every sense was on fire when she realized Vriska was _right there_ , right up close with her leg pressed against Kanaya’s and her arm around her shoulders, and all she could think was oh no.

“What, cat got your tongue? No snark? Damn, that’s a first.” Vriska spoke breezily. Like she had never made Kanaya completely break down with that same tone, like she hadn’t left the girl mentally mangled beyond recognition. She looked the same as she always did; black hair messy but still so silky, torn up skinny jeans showing off her thin legs, a tight shirt to show off her bust.

“Wh- What are you doing here,” Kanaya managed, her voice wavering. The music was so loud and _she_ was so close.

“What does it look like? Having fun.” By the scent and the plastic cup in her hand, her idea of fun was beer and drugs. Not surprising; it always was. Kanaya tried to say something when Vriska shoved the drink in her hands. “Try this, Gamzee whipped it up. I think it’ll make you cut loose a bit…”

Kanaya could never say no to her. She tipped the drink up to her lips while Vriska watched her like an animal stalks its prey. The liquid was sharp and burned in her throat, and her eyes watered, but then the cup was empty and Vriska took it to toss it away.

“Just like old times, huh?” she said, and her mouth was close to Kanaya’s ear and when did she get there and oh, her hand was touching Kanaya’s knee.

“Stop,” Kanaya muttered, but it was weak and her mind was getting foggy. What on earth was in that drink?

Vriska’s hand started to gently slide up Kanaya’s leg. “Come on, Fussyfangs. Are you still mad?” Her nails were sharp along Kanaya’s thigh. “You need to loosen up.” Kanaya wished she hadn’t worn a skirt. “Remember all the fun we had?” A tongue on her ear made her flinch. “I miss you…” Her nails scraped along the edge of Kanaya’s underwear, and Kanaya let out an involuntary gasp, which Vriska took as an okay to go further because then Kanaya’s head was turned and Vriska was kissing her sloppily, smearing the black lipstick she had so painstakingly applied, and one of her legs was tossed over Kanaya’s own.

She was vaguely aware that she was responding slightly, but she could have sworn it was by saying something like “Please get off of me,” but maybe Vriska thought she was kissing back because whoops there was her tongue. Then it was something like “You’re a sociopath, stop,” but there was still a hand up her skirt and Vriska’s fingers were rubbing through the cloth, and maybe that wasn’t what she said because everything was blurry and loud and vibrant.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized that this wasn’t caused by alcohol and there were drugs in that drink.

But then Vriska was gone along with her lips and hands, and somebody was yelling and she heard the word “fuck” a lot, and somebody had their hands on her cheeks and Kanaya realized she was being spoken to. She managed to focus her eyes enough to see that it was Terezi, her red glasses framing wide teal eyes.

“I’m okay,” Kanaya said, but it came out slurred and when an odd little hiccup came up, she realized she had started to cry. Then Karkat was there, looking angry as ever and he got her up and through the door into the cool night air. Kanaya found herself sitting on the sidewalk with her back to the wall and her knees up to her chin in a matter of seconds.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know she would be here,” Terezi said quietly.

“Fuck, stop apologizing, I get it,” snapped Karkat, but he was quiet to and it occurred to Kanaya that they were speaking softly for her sake.

“Do you want me to take you home?”

“No, we can figure out that shit ourselves-”

“Kanaya’s technically underage, she can’t to back to college housing-”

“Then she can fucking sleep in the car-”

“You don’t have a car, Karkat,” Terezi insisted, and that’s when Kanaya spoke up.

“Rose,” she said, looking up. Karkat and Terezi both looked at her, apparently surprised that she was listening.

“Who’s Rose?” Terezi asked, looking back at Karkat.

“Dave’s sister,” Karkat answered, but his eyes stayed on Kanaya. He crouched down. “Can I have your phone?”

Kanaya handed it to him and he quickly unlocked it even though Kanaya never told him her password, scrolling through her contacts before tapping on the screen and bringing the phone to his ear. There was an awkward moment of silence before Karkat spoke.

“No, it’s not Kanaya, it’s Karkat,” he snapped into the phone. “…Yes, I am aware that it is almost 12 in the morning… Look, I don’t fucking have time for your sass… There was a situation, long story short, I need you to come pick Kanaya and I up.” There was a long pause, then Karkat muttered “I’ll explain later,” and gave the address of the club.

“Is she coming?” Terezi asked when Karkat hung up the phone. He nodded, then looked back at Kanaya.

“Are you okay?” he asked in that grumpy-but-caring way he had.

“Drugs,” she said, and she was angry inside that she couldn’t formulate proper sentences.

“You did drugs?” Now his voice had an edge.

“In a drink.”

“Gamzee was mixing stuff in drinks if someone asked,” Terezi said. “Vriska probably gave her something he spiked.”

“I’m going to kill that fucking bitch,” Karkat growled, and for the first time, Kanaya realized that his knuckles were bruised.

“Not if I get to her first,” Terezi rebutted grimly.

“You should go back inside.” Karkat was looking at the redhead. “It’s cold, and Rose will be here soon.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’ll text you when we get picked up, okay?”

Terezi nodded, and Karkat stood up to give her a hug before she left and he sat back down next to Kanaya.

“I’m sorry,” she said, because she felt it was appropriate to do so. Karkat just told her to shut up, and then Kanaya fell asleep on his shoulder.


	7. Rose: Play doctor

When Rose pulled up, Karkat was huddled against a brick wall, supporting an apparently unconscious Kanaya. She hopped out quickly, leaving the car running, and hurried to them.

“What happened?” she demanded, crouching down to check Kanaya’s temperature and pulse.

“I’ll fucking tell you in the far, help me get her up,” he snapped, struggling to even get the much taller girl upright. Rose quickly helped him, and Kanaya stirred enough to help support her own weight and stagger towards the car.

When they got her into the backseat and buckled, and Rose was starting to pull back into the road, Karkat spoke up.

“We tried to give her a fucking nice night out,” he growled, his arms crossed tightly. “But then that fucking bitch showed up.”

“Her ex?”

“Yeah. Vriska fucking Serket. I walked up and she was practically on top of Kan with her fucking hand up her skirt, and Kanaya looked scared and kept mouthing ‘no’ over and over, and-” He stopped and shook his head. “I pulled her off and punched in the fucking face.”

“Good,” Rose said curtly. “Remind me to do the same.”

That brought out a smirk from Karkat. “I will.” Then his frown was back. “I looked back and she was crying. Just staring at Terezi, hyperventilating, fucking crying. Kanaya doesn’t cry.” His voice was shaking.

“And how did she get to the state she is now?” Rose inquired.

“Fucking bitch gave her a drink with drugs in it.”

Rose grit her teeth, but let the car fall into silence. She chastised herself for being partly angry due to jealousy at the thought of someone touching Kanaya like that, even though they had only even had one date that lasted five minutes and Rose had no right to get angry. Still, she contemplated turning the car around just to give Vriska a piece of her mind.

But she knew Kanaya needed to get somewhere safe, so she drove silently to her and Dave’s apartment. Her brother even came out to help them get Kanaya inside, and then the inebriated woman was tucked into Rose’s bed and Rose was dozing off in a chair next to her.

* * *

When Rose awoke, the scent of food cooking permeated the air. She sat up and stretched, rubbing her eyes before looking around. Kanaya was still asleep, cuddled up with the blankets up to her chin. Rose couldn’t help but smile; the girl looked so peaceful in her slumber.

“Yo, sis, if you’re done creepin’ on sleepin’ beauty over there, Karkitty and I made breakfast,” came Dave’s voice, and Rose looked up to see him peering into her room. From somewhere else in the apartment, she heard a certain angry someone yell “Don’t call me Karkitty!”

Dave ducked back out and Rose turned back to Kanaya. Gently, she leaned over and shook Kanaya’s shoulder firmly. “Hey, you gotta wake up,” she said softly.

“Huh?” Kanaya stirred and yawned. She sat up, blinking bleary eyes and looking at Rose dully for a few moments before apparently realizing where she was. “Rose? Wha…?”

“Dave made breakfast,” Rose said dully, not really knowing what else to say.

“I’m at your house… after… last night…” Kanaya slowly processed this, then her eyes widened. “I’m so sorry-”

“It’s okay,” Rose assured. “I’m just glad you’re safe.”

“Vriska was there…” Her hands started to shake.

“It’s okay!” Rose picked up Kanaya’s hands with her own. “Karkat called me and now you’re safe. The boys made breakfast, do you want to go get some?”

Kanaya nodded slowly and stood before she asked, “Can I freshen up, first?” Rose simply smiled and pointed to a door, which Kanaya promptly disappeared behind.

The blond looked around her room, and then suddenly realized that Kanaya was still wearing the clothes from last night, so she strode to her dresser and pulled out a pair of red pajama pants that she thought would be long enough for her and a plain black tank top. Rose then knocked on the bathroom door.

“Yes?” Kanaya opened the door, and Rose saw that there were water droplets sliding down her face and dripping off of her thin nose.

“I got you a change of clothing,” Rose offered, holding out the folded bundle.

With a smile, Kanaya took it, saying a soft “Thank you” before closing the door. Rose waited patiently until Kanaya emerged once more. “Where may I place my dirty clothing?”

“I’ll take it,” Rose said quickly, holding out her hands. Kanaya looked like she was going to object, but she handed the clothing over anyway, and Rose led the way out of the room. She opened the large hallway closet, which housed the laundry machines and quickly got Kanaya’s clothing started on being clean.

“Did you know red is my favorite color?” Kanaya inquired, looking at the baggy pants that hung low on her hips and Rose was momentarily too distracted by the gentle slope of her tiny waist into the sagging pants to reply, but she managed to get herself to look up.

“I guessed,” she answered with a quick smile, but Kanaya’s raised eyebrows showed that her lingering look had not been missed. Rose opted to not give the woman a chance to comment, instead leading the way out into the living room, where Dave and Karkat were sitting on the couch.

“’Sup Rose’s Hot Girlfriend,” Dave piped up, turning his head to look at the girls, clad only in a red sweater and boxers.

Rose felt her cheeks get hot but she didn’t dare look at Kanaya. “For God’s sake, Dave, you could at least be decent when we have guests over,” she chastised, firmly fixing a glare on him.

“Not my fault small-n-broody likes to see my hot ass,” he replied simply, looking back at the television.

Karkat nearly yelped. “ _I told you_ to put some fucking pants on!”

“Whatever, I’m gonna get ready for work,” he drawled, getting up and putting his plate on the counter before disappearing into his room.

“I did, I swear,” Karkat insisted.

Kanaya snickered and Rose rolled her eyes before walking to the kitchen. She got Dave’s plate and rinsed it off in the sink before getting to fresh ones for her and Kanaya. “What would you like?” she asked, gesturing to the dishes of eggs, bacon, and chopped potatoes Dave and Karkat made before looking at the taller woman.

“Really, you don’t need to-”

“What would you like?” Rose repeated, more firmly.

With a small huff, Kanaya relented. “Eggs, please.”

Rose nodded and spooned some onto her plate before handing it to Kanaya. “Condiments are in the fridge. You’re welcome to anything.”

After Kanaya had gotten a glass of water and salted her eggs, and Rose got herself some bacon and potatoes, the girls settled down on the couch. Karkat was hugging the remote to his chest and was stubbornly staring at the TV, watching some horrible romance movie, so Rose decided not to ask to change the channel. The two women were forced to watch a horribly scripted scene and Dave didn’t reemerge from his bedroom until both girls had finished their breakfasts and Rose had cleaned off the plates.

“Alright hot stuff, let’s roll out.” Dave opened the front door as he checked his phone.

“I’m coming,” Karkat snapped, standing and giving Kanaya an awkward hug before stalking after the Strider. “Remember you have class at six,” he added over his shoulder.

“I can remember my own schedule,” Kanaya sighed, and Karkat just shrugged before shutting the door.

Finally rid of the two boys, Rose picked up the remote and changed the channel to some supernatural show. “What class do you have?” she asked casually, looking over at Kanaya. The taller, leaner girl had her legs folded to one side, facing Rose with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Art History, I’m afraid, one of the most dreadfully boring classes I’ve ever had the misfortune of experiencing.” The girl rolled her eyes as she spoke, and her lips pulling into a slight frown.

“Sorry to hear that,” Rose said with a small laugh. “Are you feeling okay, though?”

“Yes, I believe so,” Kanaya said slowly. Then she sighed and looked down, almost guiltily. “Rose, I truly am very sorry to impose on you like this, since I was put in such a dastardly situation by my own irresponsibility. I know it is highly inappropriate to request a midnight jaunt to an obscure club from a friend only made a short while ago, and I understand if it makes you uncomfortable. I cannot possibly tell you how embarrassed and sorry I am-”

“Kanaya.”

The woman looked up and the interruption, and Rose saw her eyes had become moist. With a small smile, Rose opened her arms and simply said, “Come here.”

Honestly, Rose didn’t expect Kanaya to except the offer. She definitely didn’t expect Kanaya to dive into her embrace, almost tackling her. Nonetheless, Rose wrapped her arms around the lithe woman as Kanaya buried her face into the crook of Rose’s neck.

“It’s okay,” Rose said quietly, stroking the sleek black hair. “I am honestly quite flattered that it was I you thought to call.”

Kanaya turned her head so she was resting against Rose’s collarbone. “I could never say no to her,” she confessed. “I should have said no, so many times. But I never could and I don’t know why.”

“Love makes us so stupid things,” the blonde reasoned. Like drive to a club in the middle of the night in your pajamas? But Rose pushed the thought away. She wasn’t in love with Kanaya.

“Why on earth did I love her?” Kanaya groaned.

“Because, love is blind and unreasonable, and can shift to addiction all too easily.”

Kanaya was silent after that, and Rose looked down at her. From that angle, Rose could only see her long eyelashes and slim nose, but she let her eyes move up to appraise the slope of her shoulders and curve of her back.

Rose was not in love with Kanaya. But she was definitely falling for her.


	8. Kanaya: Don't fight the feeling

Kanaya had to attend Art History, but that didn’t mean she had to pay attention. It definitely didn’t mean that she couldn’t spend the whole time texting Rose, even though she knew the woman was at work.

TT: Honestly, you should be focusing.

GA: As Should You. I Have Already Studied Art History So Paying Attention Is Not Necessary For Me

TT: I’m stuck filling out forms all day, talking to you in my only reprieve from boredom.

GA: Woe Is You

TT: God, I would feel that sarcasm like a freight train.

GA: As Dave Would Say “Choo Choo Motherfucker."

Kanaya smirked to herself at the little joke, and started doodling on her notebook. The page already had the beginnings of a dress design on it, and Kanaya started adding little details and notes in the margins.

GA: I Believe I Have Designed A Dress That Would Look Very Fetching On You

TT: Really? Is that what you do to pass the time?

GA: Yes I’ll Need Your Measurements If You Would Like Me To Make It

TT: Try to get your hands on me, Miss Kanaya?

GA: I Actually Have To Make A Dress For A Project In One Of My Classes

TT: I was kidding. I’m flattered you thought of me.

GA: Oh.

GA: I Will Need A Model If Youre Willing To Come To My College

TT: Take me, I’m yours.

Rolling her eyes slightly, Kanaya resumed working on the design until another message popped up on her phone’s screen.

GC: MY MY K4N4Y4, T3XT1NG 1N CL455?

Kanaya looked up sharply, and met Terezi’s teasing gaze. The much shorter girl sat a few seats down, in the row in front of Kanaya. When Kanaya frowned at her, she winked and stuck her tongue out.

GA: Look Whos Talking

GC: 1S 1T TH3 L4LOND3 G1RL?

GA: Why Are You So Interested?

GC: K4RKL3S S4YS SH3’S 4 GOOD G1RL. 1’M JUST H4PPY FOR YOU.

GA: She Is There’s Nothing To Be Happy About Though We’re Not Together

GC: BUT YOU L1K3 H3R.

GA: Maybe

GC: YOU L1K3 H3R 4LOT.

GA: Stop Texting Me And Pay Attention

GC: H3H3H3H3H3H3 >:)

Kanaya sighed and rubbed her eyes. She didn’t want to think about how the may- or may not- be feeling about Rose. But she was lying to herself, and she knew it. Rose was gentle, smart, and funny, and Kanaya was already falling for her.

But falling for someone again was still scary, and she knew one day she’d have to tell Rose all about Vriska herself, and the thought of that… didn’t actually make her stomach churn that much.

She took a deep breath and realized she had added a face to the model in her notebook. Of course it had black lips and eyes that could peirce stone.


	9. Rose: Rise up

“Dave, for God’s sake put some pants on.”

“It’s my house, I don’t have to!”

“It is absolutely disgusting watching you walk around in ass-hugging underwear with Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff on them. Pants. Now.”

“Come on, I’m your brother-”

“-which is why this situation is so very uncomfortable.”

Dave groaned and trudged out of the kitchen, where he was actually doing something useful and washing dishes. He made a point of angling his head so he was staring at Rose through his shades the whole way to his bedroom door before disappearing behind it.

“Don’t you have somewhere to go, anyway?” Rose called. She was perched on the couch with her laptop, typing away on a new story idea. Even though it was close to noon, she wore her pajama shorts and a snug tank top.

“Yeah, chillin’ with Terezi and karkat. Heard the Mayor’s coming, too.” He strode back out of his room, fully dressed, and started getting his wallet and keys off of the counter. “I hope the Mayor does come. That dude is rad. He’s like, my BFF. I wanna stay up all night with his talking about boys and painting our toenails. If the Mayor is even into boys. Dude has a poker face that could take him to Vegas.”

“Clearly, since you don’t know his name,” Rose drawled, rolling her eyes.

“I know his name.”

“What’s his name?”

“Mayor.”

Rose stared at her brother, who simply stared back, until a finally added, “Okay but you don’t know his name either.”

“Valid argument,” she admitted, before turning back to her screen.

“Don’t you have like, a gay date with miss tall, awkward, and broody?”

“Her name is Kanaya, Dave.”

“So it _is_ a gay date.”

“No, it’s me helping her with a project.”

Dave shrugged. “Whatever. It’s pretty obvious that you two totally dig each other. Only a matter of time ‘till I walk in and you’re smoochin’ on the couch. Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally proud of you. Kanaya’s pretty hot. Not my type, but hot.”

“Maybe because you type right now is short and shouty.”

“And if it is?”

“I wonder if he yells so much in bed?” Rose drawled casually, and heard Dave drop his keys, probably in shock.

“I’m leaving,” Dave said only slightly too quickly, dodging out of the house. Rose grinned.

 

Kanaya arrived half an hour after Dave left, toting a small bag and a slight smile. She wore black jeans with a loose jade shirt that hung off one shoulder, with her usual black lipstick.

“Well aren’t you just looking ravishing,” Rose observed when she opened the door.

“Don’t I always?” Kanaya shot back and a smirk. “May I come in?” Rose stepped aside and the tall woman strode into the apartment. “Would you like to get started immediately?” asked Kanaya, turning back to look at Rose.

“If you would like,” Rose answered, closing the door and walking back towards the couch. “I must confess, though, I don’t really know what to do.”

“Just stand still.” Kanaya set her bag down on the couch and pulled measuring tape and a notebook out of it. Rose obeyed and Kanaya quickly unraveled the tape, kneeling down and wrapping it around Rose’s hips.

“What class is this for?” Rose asked, trying to not be too distracted by their close proximity.

“Advanced Fashion Design,” replied Kanaya, recording a number in her notebook before sliding the tape down to her waist. “That’s a class I actually enjoy.”

“So you won’t be texting me all through it?”

Kanaya laughed. “I don’t plan on it, no.” She stood and let the tape fall to measure from Rose’s ankles to her shoulder. “I studied art history in high school, which is why that class is so very boring to me.” Jotting down another number, she proceeded to gather the measuring tape back up to stretch it down the length of Rose’s arm.

Rose fell silent, and Kanaya finished measuring her arms and shoulders. But then the measuring tape was wrapped around her, just under her bust and Rose knew the taller woman was bending down to see the numbers but it looked almost like she was staring at Rose’s breasts.

When Kanaya straightened, Rose saw that she was biting her lip and had her eyebrows pulled together in concentration. _Get it together, Rose, she’s not getting distracted by your minimalistic chest,_ she chastised herself, but then the measuring tape moved up and Kanaya was measuring her actual bust.

She did her best to stay still as Kanaya held the tape there and wrote down a number, but when Kanaya faced her again, she swallowed heavily. Their eyes met, Kanaya’s slightly wide and flickering down to the placement of her hands right against Rose’s chest before meeting Rose’s gaze once more. Her jade eyes were almost searching, lips slightly parted…

In a rush of confidence, Rose stood on her tiptoes, put her hand on the back of Kanaya’s neck, and pulled her down to capture those perfect lips with her own.

It was over as quick as it began, and Rose quickly sunk back down off her toes to stare at Kanaya sheepishly. “Sorry,” she said, slightly breathless and definitely blushing. “I just really needed to do that.”

Kanaya had her lips pressed together, but her hands had not moved. She just nodded small, quick nods and Rose wished she would just _say something_ instead of staring at her with those wide eyes.

Then, with an awkward inhale and an audible gulp, Kanaya dropped the measuring tape, put both her hands on Rose’s cheeks, and stooped down to kiss her again. This time the kiss lasted a while longer and it was slow, deliberate. When Kanaya pulled away she smiled shyly. “I needed to do that too.”

Rose stared at her, opening her mouth to say something that would probably come out really corny, then Kanaya started laughing, her hands drifting away from Rose’s face. “What? What did I do?” Rose demanded in dismay.

A few more moments of giggling passed before Kanaya answered. “You have my lipstick smeared all over your mouth.”

 _Seriously?_ Rose shook her head and laughed. “Hey, it fucked up _your_ lipstick.”

With a roll of her eyes, Kanaya bent down to pick up the measuring tape before going to her bag and pulling out a little mirror. She carefully wiped off her lipstick while Rose attended to her own face and a some short minutes later, the two women were seated on the couch in a comfortable silence. Rose had her legs crisscrossed under her, with her laptop on her lap, and Kanaya sat in her usual knees-to-chin position, making careful notations on the dress design.

Rose noticed Kanaya looking at her more than once out of the corner of her eye, but didn’t turn until the jade gaze lingered for almost two minutes.

“Do you need something?” Rose asked, looking away from the laptop screen with an eyebrow raised.

Kanaya blushed hard and Rose could tell she was biting her cheek. “I just really liked kissing you,” she confessed, staring resolutely at her notebook.         

“That’s always a positive thing to hear…” Rose carefully watched the woman, knowing there was still something more.

“But, even though that was our uh, first kiss, and I don’t know if we’re, um, together, I…” Kanaya looked up at Rose and the blonde swore the poor girl could not have gotten any redder. “I just really want to kiss you a lot more.”

Rose blinked rapidly a few times, then sighed. She moved her laptop to the coffee table and shut the lid. She reached over and took Kanaya’s notebook and pencil, setting them on top of the laptop while Kanaya watched in confusion. She gently pushed Kanaya down onto her back, and crawled forward on the couch so she hovered over the bewildered woman, with her knees to one side of Kanaya’s hips and her hands above her shoulders.

Then, she paused, looking at Kanaya questioningly. The other woman understood and nodded once: Yes, this is okay. With Kanaya’s approval, Rose lowered her body to press it against Kanaya and kissed the pale woman with gentle passion.

Eagerly, Kanaya kissed back, her arms wrapping around Rose in a happy embrace. Their lips moved like liquid against each other, and Kanaya was bold enough to swipe her tongue across Rose’s lips. The feeling of the lithe body beneath her was almost overwhelming to Rose, but a bite at her lower lip kept her grounded.

But then the front door opened quickly and Dave declared “I told you that was a gay date.”

Rose’s head shot up to stare at her brother while Kanaya screamed and fell off the couch.

Dave started laughing and Rose collapsed into a sitting position as she joined him, shoulders shaking as she cackled. Karkat, who was trailing behind Dave, just let out a long sigh.

“It’s not funny!” Kanaya cried, sitting up and blushing again. But then even she was laughing, and Karkat let out a little chuckle, and Rose pressed another kiss to Kanaya’s lips.


	10. Kanaya: Be okay

Together.

Rose had assured her that yes, she wanted to be with Kanaya as much as she wanted to be with Rose, and so formed the word: together.

When she excitedly told Terezi outside of their Art History class after it ended, the little redhead had thrown her head back and cackled in that God-awful way she always did. Then she pounced on Kanaya and hugged her tightly, showering her with a mix of “I’m so happy for you!” and “I told you so!”

“Did you kiss? Did you tell Karkat? Did you touch her boobs?”

Sighing heavily, Kanaya pulled the much shorter girl off of her. “Yes, we did kiss. A few times, actually, until Dave and Karkat walked in. And I maybe touched her chest-” Terezi broke out in another fit of laughter. “-but it was because I was taking her measurements for a dress, that’s all!”

“Yeah right,” Terezi teased, and Kanaya was acutely aware that she was probably turning neon red.

“I am not about to recount the entire venture to you,” Kanaya said hotly, crossing her arms. Terezi simply laughed again.

Half an hour later, Kanaya was sitting across the table from Karkat.

“I can’t believe they managed to fuck up my order. Seriously, these douchewads managed to turn a mocha cappuccino with one extra espresso shot and extra whipped cream into a chilled cup of horse shit.”

Kanaya sighed and reached over to take his beverage and take a sip. “It’s fine, Karkat.”

The grumpy boy slouched and crossed his arms. “No it’s not. There’s hardly any whipped cream.”

“Just drink it, Karkat, for God’s sake.”

Sullenly, he put the straw in his mouth and started downing the cold beverage. “So how’s it with Lalonde?”

“It’s good,” Kanaya said cautiously. After the day at Rose’s house, the two hadn’t seen each other due to the blonde’s work schedule and Kanaya’s classes. “I think she’s good for me.”

“Compared to spiderbitch, practically anyone’s good for you,” Karkat retorted. He was one of the few people that didn’t hedge around the subject of Vriska, and for that, Kanaya was grateful. She hated the sad looks Terezi gave her when the redhead thought she wasn’t looking, or the Tavros could hardly look at her at all. “But I’ve got to say, Lalonde has my vote. She sounds like she read the dictionary cover to cover, just like you do, and it’s just as agonizing.”

“It’s a good thing you and I aren’t related,” Kanaya added casually. “Two siblings dating another pair of siblings? People would talk.”

“What the fuck are you spouting?”

“Well, Rose and I, and then you and Dave.”

“Me and Dave- what- how the fuck- me and Dave aren’t dating!” Karkat was sputtering and tripping over his words as he blushed slightly, making Kanaya laugh.

“Come on, Karkat. You may call him a douchebag all the time, but I can tell you like him. And, by the way, the whole be-mean-to-the-girl-because-you-have-a-crush-on-her thing? It doesn’t work.”

“Shut up!”

“Okay,” Kanaya relented, but she still had a smirk as she sipped her tea. “I plan on going to Rose’s house this evening, by the way.”

“I know, that’s why Dave suddenly wanted to have a “totally ironic, mildly gay brofest sleepover” at my place- _DON’T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT_.”

Kanaya laughed and then got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She slowly looked down. “We’ll be there alone… “ Looking back up quickly, she stared at him with wide eyes. “Karkat what if she expects me to- I don’t think I’m ready to do that again with anyone let alone a girl I just met two weeks ago!”

“Kanaya, relax.” Karkat tentatively reached out and papped her on the arm. “Dave told me she wasn’t trying to get in your pants, he just didn’t want to be a third wheel or some shit. I guess his love of douchebaggery stops at seeing his sister smooth some chick.”

Shifting nervously, Kanaya still found herself fretting. “But Karkat-”

“Stop Kanaya. It’ll be fine.” Karkat rolled his eyes but he still smiles comfortingly and Kanaya too several deep breaths. _She’s not Vriska. You can say no. She’ll listen to you._

“God, why did that bitch have to walk into my life?” Kanaya muttered.

Karkat didn’t have to ask to know who she was talking about. He just sighed, took a sip of his chilled cup of horse shit, and said “I know, right?”


End file.
